On a Saturday afternoon, the Westport Public Library is abuzz. The coffee line at the café stretches back to the stairs and small study groups crowd around the bookshelves.
Yet the Westport Public Library holds many treasures undiscovered by most students.
THE ART GALLERIES
The art galleries may just be the parts of the library that students notice the least.
“I feel kind of strange saying this, but I honestly have never stopped to look [at the paintings],” Malin Hovstadius ’15, a library regular, said.
The library’s largest collections of work are on display in the Great Exhibit Hall located on the main floor. This area generally features the work of Westport artists.
Paul Mazzaccaro, the Director and Chief Operating Officer of the library, said that recommendations as to whose art should be displayed next are always welcome.
AND THE ART SECTION…
The library also has an art section that is worth visiting if you desire a quiet hideaway. “It’s tucked away, but you have a view of the Great Hall inside and the big window looking out on Jesup Green,” Maxine Bleiweis, the Executive Director of the library, said.
Charlie Colasurdo ’18 mentioned that the secluded upstairs areas in the library are also excellent places to study.
RESEARCH HELP
The research desk offers many little known services, according to Jaina Shaw, the head of Teen Services at the library.
“Not only will we pull resources for you,” Shaw said, “{But} we can make an appointment to discuss research strategies.”
THE CAFE
Everyone loves a warm drink at the library café after a snow storm.
Claire Meehan’s ’17 favorite drink is the “not too chocolatey” hot chocolate. Others, like Bleiweis, love the peppermint tea latte, complete with a York Peppermint Patty melting at the bottom.
But the café has a little hidden secret of its own. Ten cups of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate earns any customer one cup free. That is, if you have a rewards card. These little green cards are easy to get, you just have to ask.
